The Challenge of Emergency Archaeology in Nubia

There are times when archaeology must be done, not by choice, but when circumstances demand that it must be done or be lost. In Nubia, dams have forced the rapid exploration and excavation of large areas, often by persons unfamiliar with the land about to be inundated, and with a limited time to do it. The challenges include unfamiliar logistics and the need to deal empathetically with people who are losing their homes. Academically, and intellectually, the challenge is to recover knowledge without a preconceived program. In the case of the expeditions launched by this institute, now the Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures in Nubia, this has resulted in the recovery of vast quantities of material evidence, with varying levels of documentation. Recovery is only the first part of the commitment. Publication is fundamental to making it available to inform and encourage the study of those who lived in the lands that can no longer be seen. This is, and has been an adventure in its own right leading to new developments and discoveries that have fundamentally changed our picture of Nubia.